Door frames



July 13 1965 .1.A. sTl-:FFAN ETAL 3,194,363

DOOR FRAMES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 3l, 1962 July 13, 1965 J. A. sTEFFAN ETAL 3,194,363

DOOR FRAMES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1962 3,194,363 DOOR FRAMES Iulius A. Stean, 2633 Endicott, Overland, Mo., and

.loseph L. Williams, 485 E. Adams, Kirkwood, Mo.;

Marie M. Stelan, administratrix of said Julius A.

Stelian, deceased Filed Jan. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 170,040 1 Claim. l(Cl. 189-46) This invention relates to door frames of the kind in which head and jamb members -are mounted on and inboard of a Xed frame.

One of the objects of this invention `is lto provide -a door frame in lwhich head and jamb members lare constructed to be quickly and easily installed, which form neat, clean, tight, mee-ting joints with one another, and which tend to maintain their `relative positions with respect .to one another, in spite of dimensional changes inthe lixed Aframe.

Other objects =Will Ibecome apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the following description and accompanying drawing.

Inaccordance .with this invention, generally stated, an limproved 'sectional door frame is provided in which head and jamb-members, mounted on, .and inboar-d of a fixed frame, are continuously biased into tight engagement by resilient biasing means supported by at least one of said members, and stop-guide means 4are provided on one or more of ythe members, which guide and limi-t the movement of the jamb members in response to the bias, and position the members in a fixed relationship with one another. Y

In the drawing:

lFIGURE 1 is a ,View in front elevation of a complete door frame constructed in -accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 `is a view in front elevation of the lnish frame in the process of erection;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail Iview in front elevation, partly in section, showing one embodiment of finish frame members kof thisV invention;

FIGURE 4 is -a fragmentary det-ail view in front elev-a- "United States Patent O tion, showing the finish Vframe members ofY FIGURE in g assembled relation; 1

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken Ialong the line 5 5 of FIGURE l; ,l

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective of thel upper end of a jamb section of the embodiment of finish jambs shown in FIGURES 3-5, without rthe spring of that embodiment;

FIGURE 7 is la fragmentary view in front elevation showing another embodiment of lnish yframe of -this invention; and

FIGUR-E 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partly broken away of still another embodiment of this invention, wherein two springs are utilized.

Referring now to the drawing for illustrative -embodiments of this invention, and particularly to FIGURES 1 6, reference numeral l1 indicates a rough buck or fixed frame, on which a sectional `finish frame 10 of this invention is mounted. The .rough buck -1 is made up of two stiles '2 and a buck head 3. In the embodiment shown, plaster board 4 is nailed to the side faces of the rough buck before the iin-ish fra-me is mounted, and the finish frame is mounted over the plaster board, but this arrangement is not a part of the invention, it being immaterial thereto whether the finish frame is designed for dry-wall or plaster. In this embodiment, the sectional linish frame is made up of a hinge side jamb member 5, a strike plate side jamb member 6, and a header member 7.

Each of the jamb members 5 and 6, is provided with a mitered bearing surface 8 at its upper end. In the embodiment shown, each of the jamb sections 5 and 6 is provided -with a lcentral door stop 11 having a plane rice transverse panel \12and stop faces 13, and with side webs 14, connected, on either side of the stop, to .the stop faces 13.

`Both of the jamb sections 5 and 6 are provided with stop-guide lugs 15, which, in the embodiment shown, are simply tabs, one end of which is struck from a side web 14, and the other end of which is integral with the side web. In this embodiment, the strike plate side jamb member 6 is provided, in the panel 12 of the stop, with a slot 20. Actually, both jamb members can be provided with slots 20, but the slot 20 on the hinge side serves no function.

A strong, semi-elliptical spring 25 is mounted on the (hidden) rough buck side of the panel 12 of the strike plate side jamb member 6. The vertically upper end of the spring 25 has a dog leg 26, the free end of which extends through the slot 20 and lies along and against the panel 112 above the slot a-s shown in FIGURE 3. The lower end of the spring 25 is curved away from the panel 12, toward the rough buck, so as Vto provide a smooth bearing surface 27 against the panel 12. The bowed sectiony of the spring 25 is spaced from the stop panel 12 a distance greater than the greatest anticipated distance between the stile Z of the rough buck and the panel 12, when the finish `frame is installed. lThus, when the frame is installed, the spring 25 will be compressed between the stile 2 and lthe panel 12 of the jamb 6 as shown in FIG- URE 4.

The header 7 has a stop 31 and side webs 34, and is provided at lboth of its ends with a mitered bearing surface 28, complementary to the mitered bearing sur-face 8 on the upper ends of the jamb members 5 Iand 6. The header is cut away at `its two ends in such a way as to make a tight joint with the upper end of each of the jamb members, Iwhen the header is properly positioned with respect to the jamb members.

The proper positioning of Ithe header with respect to the jamb members is accomplished by a cooperation between the spring 25, compressed between the fixed frame and jamb member 6, bearing surfaces 8 :and 28, and stops 15, engagingthe header 7. It can be seen that, when the mitered bearing surfaces 8 and 28 of the jamb member and header, respectively, are in engagement, a force exerted on .the jamb member in a direction away from the rough buck, will tend to cam the header upwardly. If the header isinitially positioned vertically below the stops 15, the header Iwill move up until the stops 15 engage the hidden face of the side webs 34, as shown in FIGURE 4, whereupon the header will be securely held in position, being anchored against upward displacement by the stops, and effectively prevented from downward d-isplacement by the bias of the spring 25, acting through the camming surfaces 8 and 28.

As is explained hereafter, the hinge side jamb member 5 is Axedly mounted on the stile opposite the strike plate side jamb member, so that the thrust of the spring 25 against the strike plate side jamb section 6, hence the header 7, in a direction toward the hinge side jamb memlber, also causes the header 7 to cam upwardly on the mitered section y8 of the hinge side jamb member 5, until the stops 1S on the hinge side jamb member engage the hidden surtace `of the side webs 34 of the header, so that both ends of the header are properly positioned and tightly maintained by the spring 25 In the installation of a finish frame of this embodiment, assuming that the rough buck is already in place, the hinge side jamb member 5 is lined up heightwise and plumbed and fastened securely to one of the stiles 2. The header 7 is then put into place with a part of the bearing surface 28 in Contact with the bearing surface 8 of the hinge side jamb member, but with the side webs 34 below the stops 15 of the hinge side jamb member. Strike plate side jamb .Y 3f Y member isrinitially positioned with itsk lower end away from the stile on which it is to bemounted, and with its upper end against and embracing the stile as shown in FIGUREV 2. 'V The header 7 also tends away from; the buck head 3, at the end of theheader to be engaged by the end of theystrike plate side .jamb member 6. Y",[`hemitered ybearing surface S .of the latter is partly in Contact with the outer end of the mitered bearing surface 28 on the header,

' and the sideV webs 34 of the header are below .the stops 15 2 on the'strike plate side jamb member 6. t

The ylower end lof the jamb member 6 is now moved towardits stile,`and the jamb member6 and header 7 'are Y frame assembly ofthi's invention willioccurlto, those skilled Y* in'Y the'artiin thelight; of the foregoing disclosure.` For moved upwardly against the. biasof the spring 25. The. spring 25 has its smooth'bearing surface 29 in'contacrt with 1 the stile 2, yso that,in spite of theV stiffnessv of the spring, the jamb member `6 and header 7 can be pushed by one man into'position. VWhen the joint between the, mitered bearing surfaces :atrthe upperend of the hinge side jamb member is tight and clean, the header and jamb member 5 are at right angles to one another.v The lowervendjof the jamb` member 6 is now moved', transversely .untilV its upper mite'red corner with thev header is alsotightand clean,and the jamb membero .isv finally mounted'onk the stile V2 by'rmeans of a nail driven,thr`ough a strap 35v onv the bottom ofthe jamb member -6,` into the stile 2. YAnyV other suitable securing means may, of. course, beused instead of a nail. Y

Another embodiment of this invention is shownin FIG- each end of the header 7. "T he spring 50 is curved through more than 90, so that, in its unconnedposition indicated as 50', the free end of the spring extends beneath the'stop l 31. In this embodiment, in which thespIing is positioned within the channel defined by the stop 31;:it can be, seen thatk a space for the free end of the spring is automatically/f` provided-between the rough buck and the correspondingk stop of the jamb section. Y

v The installation of the nish frame of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first ,embodiment shown. Y The hinge side .jamb Vmember 5 :is securely mounted first, and the header is positioned with the: spring 50 inthe channel defined by the stop on each ofithe jamb; sections, andwiththe side webs ofthe header below the Vlugs on the upper ends of the jamb sections; The strikeV plate side jamb member 6 `is then pushed up( into'place,y and the force' of the spring's50, tending to pull thel jamb' sections inwardly with respect vto the head section,causes the .head sectionto cam upwardly until thestopi-guide lugs 15 engage the hidden side of( the side Websand the header.

. URE 7.k In' this embodimenbaspring 50 is secured at Y The lower end 1of the strikeplate side jamb member 6` is then nailed or otherwise secured imposition.;V

The embodimentshownin FIGUREZS isthepresent In it,two springs; 85,"each withk an integral Ufshaped blip 87. atrtitsz upper end, `are s y clipped to the upperY edge of thersideV Websy 14 immediately l Y commercial v embodiment.

adjacent and on Opposite'sidesgofthedoor'stop'lL Y y The .installation ofltlie' nishframe ofi the embodiment t shown in FIGURE Slis exactlythe same as that of theembodiment shown'pin FIGURESl1-6.

' Numerousv variations vin the Yconstruction i of. thefdoorj` of` the areas wherej a-single Yspring hasrbeen? shown.

" Having thusdescribed the invention, lwhat-,lis,clain'ied -V and desired to-beisecured by Letters Patentzfise: Qi :1 Y

- In adoorsnish frame inwhich'heager and'wjamrb 'mem-AV Y bers are mounted on, `inbroard of and in e mbracin'glrelation--V to ,a xed `frame, the vilrlflprovement Comprising rntered complementary bearing vsurfaeeslclsnthe meeting'ends; ofla,

jambrandhefader membergra Ysemi"-'ellipticalspring with its center section forming afsrnooth bearing surface contigu-l j ous the xed frame and having a .dog-leg at itsjitppere'nd, Y i" said jamb member having near its said meeting enda s]ot,VV through whichsaiddog-leg-extendsreleasably'toholdsaid, Y spring, andV srtopguide means onfsaidV jamb member near r said meeting end but belowv'said slot. l

lReferenescned.bythe Examine? I UNITED SIATESQATENTS 1f 1 2,481,721,- .9/49v y "235555233:v s/rss-nvans.Y 4203-7121 2,869,695 V1/59 x Hen et.

Y HARRISON R; MosELEY, Pn'mryA Examiner;

' JosEPHD-]REIN;-` Exqminergej Y 

